Hijacked.

Dive.

"Are you going to talk?" Cookie asked staring at me

"Umm..sorry I was just thinking. I will."

"Is something up? You seem spaced out. Want to talk about it?"

"Annie is in the hospital and I don't know what is up. And no one is telling me either so it's got me scared to my bones. I know the Bible tells us not to fear but I can't help it. I will pray about it though. I just keep thinking about all the things we planned."

"Oh," she said.

"I'm sorry about my behavior. At that point in time I guess seeing Kyle with An made me want my own thing, and I was jealous too. So when you lied about what Annie said I just followed your lead. I needed more time to think but I guess a part of me wanted her to be jealous of us too. I was stupid."

Her cheeks flamed because she found out I knew she lied.

"Well, truth is Dylan, I'm here for you, no matter what. Call me if you need anything." She dropped a price of paper with her number on the table and pecked me before leaving.

K: Dylan, I need to see you. -Kyle.

I had just received a text from Kyle which was strange he never spoke to me unless Annie was present. I texted back.

D: I'm at the breakfast café. See you soon.

"Look, my sand castle. We can actually squeeze our feet into the doors. Maybe one day we'll live in a fabulous beach house with cool surf children," she said then giggled.

"Or we could live the dream by shrinking up and fitting into that," I pointed at my huge sand castle.

"Show off!" She said sticking her tongue out.

"Unfortunately, we won't finish the rest of our list if we do." I joked.

"We could risk it all and live on the edge,"

"It's the edge of the beach for sure." I teased.

"Dylan. Dylan?" I heard a deep voice call.

"Oh, hey man," I said to Kyle.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm good."

"Something has happened to Annie, isn't it? I've tried to call her but her phone has been off for days."

"She is in the hospital. Don't ask, I don't know either."

We sat in silence till Kyle ordered cupcakes, and I could feel another trance coming on.

"I want to go in one of those!" Annie screamed pointing at a Danfo bus. They were yellow commercial buses which were usually driven by hooligans or thugs who went around Lagos bashing other's cars and having road fights.

"Trust me you don't. Lets just get into my car."

"I'm going. I promise I won't die." She winked and I understood all her near death experiences made us have these weird jokes.

Before I could reply she had jogged off and waved a bus down. The conductor in it was shouting "Ojota! Ojota!" And Annie was ready to jump in. I grabbed her arm before she could.

"What?"

"I don't even live in Ojota," I said crossing my arms.

"Oh yeah. Your house is in Banana Island, I'll wait for one going there."

She stood at the edge of the restaurant perking up whenever she saw a bus.

"You know none of these go to Banana Island, right?"

"Ugh, why didn't you just say so?" she said and skipped to the car.

I was glad to be enjoying the experience of Nigeria with such a positive person. She mad the hot days and the mosquito bites seem like nothing.

"Would you like one?" Kyle said pushing the box of treats towards me and snapping me out of my trance.

I leaned forward and chose a 'cookies n cream' cupcake and spotted Cole walk in. Cole was one of Kyle's friends before he became a Christian. He hated "Christian talk" and couldn't stick around too long around Kyle.

"Hey man. I'm having a party tonight, you should come. And don't worry there won't be any of that stuff." he said winking. "You should come too, it'll be fun. Eight at night till whenever."

"What stuff?" I asked.

"Never mind. Just be ready by eight and I'll come get you."

-------•

Lights, alcohol, and screaming teenagers. That's what a typical party thrown by Cole consisted of and this was not any different. I squeezed through the sweaty teenagers into the house.

"I think we should leave. This isn't what he promised, I'm sorry." Kyle said.

Cole came around just in time making me wonder wether he had super hearing abilities. He cajoled us to Lighten up.

"Come on, it isn't that bad. You don't have to have anything, just chill." Kyle groaned and reluctantly accepted. "A drink will help you lighten up though," he continued and Kyle shot him a look of warning. He raised up his hands and said "Just saying," then walked away to say hi to the new people streaming in.

"Dylan. Babe, the sun is out let's go!" Annie screamed.

I quickly grabbed the drink on the table and took a gulp. It was revolting but it didn't let me slip into my walking-dead mode again.

"We hardly see the sun now that we are in the raining season." she continued.

I drank more of the vodka and the trances which seemed more like memories continued to fade.

Gulp.

Gulp.

Gulp.

I couldn't let them come back and cloud my mind so I drank more and more and more till I fell over backwards into a chair and it was blurry from then on.

---•

I woke up to an empty house and a crazy headache. Party poppers, confetti and cups were all over the place.

"Hello? Where is everyone?"